The Sins of the Father Don't Always Visit the Son
by Morpheus9
Summary: Lucious Malfoy is dead, he left behind one son, who is struggling to deal with it.  So who does he call?  slight AU, I changed Draco's son's name  Rating for issues and themes hard to understand.  No romance between D and H this time.


**Recent events caused me to start this story, and a break in my writer's block has caused me to finish it. Basically, Draco's father dies, and while his father was a bastard he still has trouble dealing. Not to mention he has a son on the way. So, who does he call?**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter, but if I did I wouldn't name Draco's son Scorpius.**

* * *

Draco sat alone in his house swirling his brandy around in his brady snifter. The grandfather clock near by struck ten in the evening. He had been back from his father's funeral for three hours now. His wife was upstairs in their room, probably sleeping by now. The pregnancy was really taking alot of energy out of her and she slept more and more. Draco didn't mind since they were more friends than lovers. He gave her the space she needed and she did the same for him. When they had gotten home from the funeral she saw the look in his eyes that meant he needed to be alone. She said she felt tired and that she was going on up to bed. Draco knew better but he merely kissed her on the forehead and told her he would be up soon. Three hours later he was still sitting in the same place. His father had not been a kind father. Far from a kind father. He had been a violent and terrible father who ruled his house with a tyrannt's hand. And now Draco was free of him. He wasn't certain how to feel about it. He didn't know how to express his feelings either. Usually this was when his mother would come in and get him to break out of his train of thought. But she was dead and gone. Most of his friends had fallen away after the war. Goyle was hardly ever heard from by anybody. Blaise was somewhere in Germany working for the ministry now. The last person he had seen from the school was Harry Potter, and that was the last time that his father had been put on trial for his mother's death.

Narcissa was found at the bottom of a set of stairs in Malfoy Manor with a broken neck. Draco remembered what she looked like when he found her too. She looked like a dead swan the way her head was twisted back, but still as elegant and beautiful as he had known her to be in life. He tried to bring his father up on charges but his father's powerful friends kept stopping it. Harry Potter had been his only chance. Harry was working as an Auror and was the only person who listened to Draco and believed him that it couldn't have been an accident. Harry worked hard and managed to get his father tried for her murder twice before it was put away for good and Potter was strictly told not to persue the case anymore or he would be fired from the Ministry of Magic. Draco was sitting beside him and knew that Harry was about to argue further but he couldn't let the Golden Child sacrifice his job for this. He and his father were not worth it. He grabbed Harry's arm tightly and when Harry turned to Draco he knew with a look that Draco wanted him to drop it.

"I'm sorry," said Harry when they were outside. Draco was trying to light a cigarette in the bitter wind and was failing miserably.

"Don't worry about it," he said with the cigarette still in his mouth. "I knew it was a long shot both times. At least you tried. That's more than anyone else would do for me and for her."

"He killed your mother. I know that you are furious about that."

"He's done worse to me." Harry looked at him searchingly like trying to read a record of the abuse Draco had suffered at the hands of his father on his face. Harry took the lighter away from him, clicked it on, held his hand up, and it was almost as if there was no wind. Draco glanced up for a moment but then lit his cigarette. "Thanks."

"Not a problem." Harry handed him back the lighter and Draco stuffed it in his pocket. "I could still try-"

"You've done everything that you can Harry. I know that. Just leave it be."

"He did kill her, didn't he?" Draco nodded. "He did more than that, didn't he?" Draco took in a long drag as he remembered the abuse that he had suffered over the years. His knee was still tricky from the last time that his father had pushed him down the stairs and his wrist still hurt when it rained.

"Yes," he said quietly. He wasn't sure why he told Harry that other than he knew that Harry would never tell anyone else.

"If you need anything, just send me an owl."

"I don't **need** anyone _Potter_," he said trying to reclaim some of his cruelty now that he had given it away.

"Well, if you ever find that you do, just send this by owl." Potter had pulled a steel ring off of his pinky and he pushed it into Draco's hand. Before Draco could throw it back or even sneer Harry Potter was gone. Harry had been doing more and more of that since the war. He'd become very private. He prefered to stay at home with his wife and child and was barely seen out in public. More than likely it was going between home and work. But that was about it. He didn't go to parties or reunions or many magical functions at all. Draco looked down at the ring and turned it over in his hand. It was just a simple steel band. Nothing particularly special about it at all. He was about to throw it in the gutter when he heard a voice behind him.

"Your mother would have cried if she had lived to see this day," said the cold hard voice that he had grown to fear. Draco stuffed the ring in his pocket swiftly and turned around.

"You really think so father?" he said with a touch of arrogance.

"To see her son turn against his family? That's what caused her death in the first place." Something deep within him snapped and he clenched his fist around the ring feeling the metal biting into his flesh.

"What?" he said in cold dark voice.

"You don't remember? It was right after the Death Eater trials. After your trial in fact. You renounced us. You renounced the Death Eater ways. You even let that horrible Potter speak in your defense. I'm sure that after hearing the whole story from me that night she was running to the stairs with tears in her eyes and tripped."

"She had lived in that house for most of her life. She knew every inch of it. She could have navigated it blindfolded and never tripped once."

"She tripped and fell Draco. It was an accident. You really should stop this ridiculous hatred of me for things I did not do. It will get you no where."

"She was running and crying. She stood up to you, didn't she?" His father's eyes finally met his and Draco knew that he had found the cause. "She told you that she was happy that I had renounced the Death Eater ways. She told you that she wrote to Harry to beg him to speak in my defense only to find that she didn't even have to ask. He had been planning to do it from the beginning. She took him to Azkaban to visit me. She was the one who got me out and hid me from you. She finally told you all of that didn't she? She was running from you. She was going to leave you. And you couldn't take it." He saw the blow coming and didn't move to get out of the way. Lucius slapped him hard across the face. Draco didn't even wince. He calmly looked at his father and took a last drag off of his cigarette.

"You are talking nonsense," his father said with almost an air of nervousness.

"No. I am speaking the truth. I knew she was going to leave you. I was going to hide with her." He dropped the cigarette and snuffed it out with one wet boot.

"She would never have left me."

"Believe what you want father." Draco turned away from his father and headed down the street.

It was three years later. Draco was now married, expecting his first child soon, and his father was dead. Tonight he was staring at the ring Potter had given him three years ago. He needed a friend. These days Draco felt more and more alone. He picked up the ring and turned it over and over in his hand.

"Oh to hell with it," he muttered to himself. "What could it hurt?" He clucked his tongue and his black owl flew to the table he was next to. He tied the ring to the owl's leg. "Take this to Harry Potter." The owl looked at him and snipped. "I know. Just do like I say." The owl ate a cracker that Draco held out to him and then flew away. Draco waited patiently as he finished his brandy and then poured himself another. Half way through his second drink he heard a quiet knock on the door. He walked from the sitting room to the front door and opened it. He found there a shivering and soaked Harry Potter standing on his doorstep. Harry held up his right hand and Draco could see the steel ring on his pinky finger.

"You called," said Harry through chattering teeth.

"Well, get in here before you freeze to death," said Draco as he pulled Harry in by the arm. "I'll get you some dry clothes and a towel. Just wait here a moment." Draco quickly ran up the stairs. At first he wasn't sure why he was doing this, but he really did need someone to talk to. He pulled out a pair of sleep pants and a t-shirt from his drawer. He fetched a towel from the bathroom as well and went down the stairs again.

"The bathroom is the first door on the right just down there," he said handing Harry the dry clothes and towel. "Now go and stop dripping all over my floor." Harry smirked and walked to the bathroom. Draco heard the latch of the door click shut. He went back to the fire and sipped his brandy. He soon heard Harry softly padding across the floor on his bare feet. Harry sat down in the chair opposite Draco.

"Leave your wet things all over my floor did you?" Draco asked.

"No, your house elves insisted on washing and drying my clothes. They grabbed up my clothes and scurried away before I could tell them not to." Draco didn't say anything as Harry sat down across from Draco. "What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"My father's funeral was today."

"I'm sorry."

"He was a bastard."

"I'm still sorry."

"Why?"

"He was your father, Draco. Like it or not, he was your father and the only one you will ever have. He may have been a bastard, but I know there were things he did for you that still made him your father." Draco looked into the fire. Potter was right. As much as he wanted to deny it, he was right. His father always came riding in to the rescue when he needed him. He had never failed him once when he trully needed him.

"I wish I could erase all the good he did for me," Draco muttered through clenched teeth. "Then this would be so much easier."

"But you can't." Draco paused for a moment before answering.

"No. I can't."

"I know this is difficult."

"You have no idea how difficult."

"No. I have no idea how difficult this is for you. I never will. But I'm willing to sit and listen to you if that is what you need."

"I only called you because I needed someone to listen to me."

"I know that." Draco smirked a bemused smirk. One of the house elves came in and left Harry's clean and dry clothes on a chair near by. Harry stood up, took the ring off his finger, and put it down on the table next to Draco. "Just send it to me if you need me." He got his dry clothes from the chair and walked back to the bathroom. Draco stared at the ring sitting on the table next to him. He didn't move until he heard Harry's boots in the hall way once again. He stood up and walked Harry to the door.

"Thank you for coming over so quickly," said Draco.

"It's a portkey."

"What?"

"The ring. It's a portkey to whomever I give it to. If you need me just send it to me. I'll be here."

"Why?"

"Because you need someone. I've never seen you need someone before until your mother asked me to speak in your defense. And I knew that you would need someone again."

"I don't **need**-"

"I know Draco, you don't need anyone. Send it to me if you need me." Harry opened the door, walked out and shut it quietly again before Draco could say anything. Draco opened the door to make a comeback but Harry was gone in the night. Draco softly shut the door back. He walked into the sitting room and picked up the brandy snifter. He saw the ring sitting there. He picked it up once again and turned it over in his hand.

"I don't need anyone," he whispered to himsef. "Not all the time anyway." He put the ring in his robe pocket and walked upstairs to sleep next to his wife.

* * *

He didn't use the ring again until about three months later when his son was born. His wife had been in labor all day and finally delivered a son at seven o'clock at night. At ten o'clock at night his son was asleep again and Draco carefully took him in his arms downstairs. He put his son in the crib near the fire and sat there watching over him. The day had been long and hard for all three of them. But Draco hadn't held his son for longer than five minutes. He was afraid to. Every time he held his son he was afraid that he would hurt him. His wife and his mother-in-law had wondered what his problem was. They didn't say anything, but he could feel their stares. Now that he was alone with his son, he still didn't know what to do. He clucked his tongue and tied the ring onto his owl's leg.

"Take this to Harry Potter," he said quietly. This time the owl didn't snip. He simply flew out the open window into the quiet night. About ten minutes later, Draco heard a knock on the door. He walked to the door and opened it. There was Harry Potter again, only this time he was dry and in a thick coat. Harry held up his hand with the ring.

"You called," he said quietly.

"Come in," Draco whispered. He shut the door behind Harry and said, "Can I take your coat?"

"Sure," said Harry adjusting his voice to the volume that Draco was using. Draco hung up Harry's coat on the hook and then guestured to Harry for him to follow him. Harry quietly followed him into the sitting room.

"This is my son," said Draco putting a hand on the crib. Harry smiled at the red and wrinkled being in the cradle.

"Was he born just today?" Harry asked with awe in his face as he leaned on the crib.

"Just three hours ago. Claudia is upstairs sleeping. Her mother is taking care of her. I was left to take care of him."

"He looks like you. And he has your hair." His son opened his eyes for a moment and Harry saw dark silver before the eyes closed and the baby went back to sleep. "He has your eyes too."

"I know." Draco sat down in a chair and watched Harry watch his son sleep.

"Can I hold him?" Draco felt something in his chest tighten and wanted to tell him to never touch his son. Harry saw the fight on Draco's face and said, "Maybe later?"

"Maybe," Draco replied quickly. Harry sat down across from Draco.

"Why did you call me this time?"

"My son was born today."

"I can see that."

"I havn't held him for more than five minutes at a stretch." Harry furrowed his brows in confusion.

"What? When my first was born I didn't want to let go."

"Yes. But you know that you will never hurt your child." He watched as the realization came over Harry's face. "I know that you will never hurt my child. But I didn't want you to hold him because I was so angry that you can hold him and never hurt him and I'm afraid that I will hurt him instantaneously. I'm jealous."

"Draco, you are not going to hurt your child."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I know that you are not your father." Draco's lips pressed together.

"I look like him. I act like him sometimes."

"Are you ever cruel to your wife?"

"Claudia? No. We're not in love, but we are friends. I gave her a child because she wanted one and I wanted her to be happy. She can read my face in a second and she knows that I'm afraid. I just don't know how to fix it."

"Draco, I'll save you the suspense. You are always going to worry about your children and fear that someone will hurt them. You will make mistakes with them and you will do things that they won't like and they will be angry with you for it. But I don't think you will ever hurt your child intentionally the way your father did." Harry slowly stood and walked back to the cradle. He reached in and Draco heard his son stir slightly as Harry picked him up. Harry made a few shushing noises and rocked him slightly and the baby calmed right down. He slowly walked to Draco and gently handed Draco's son to him. The baby stirred again as he settled in Draco's arms and Draco gently rocked him and hummed quietly to him. Harry sat down in his chair again and watched Draco. Draco did look almost terrified of this little seven pound person in his arms. The baby moved and Draco would hold his breath until the baby settled again.

"He's so tiny," Draco whispered. "That was my first thought when I saw him. He's so incredibly tiny."

"They always are."

"How many do you have now?"

"Two boys. My youngest is just month old. His older brother adores him."

"What did you name him?"

"Albus Severus."

"I can see you naming him after Dumbledore. But Snape?"

"Professor Snape was one of the bravest men I've ever known. I expressed my opinion on him at the Death Eater trials as you may recall and defended him posthumously. He was working for Dumbledore the entire time."

"Yes, he was. But why was he working for Dumbledore?"

"What do you mean?"

"He had been a follower of Voldemort for a year or so before he secretly left and started working for Dumbledore. Why did he decide to leave the Death Eaters?" Harry hesitated for a moment. He had never told anyone why Snape had switched sides. It was a secret he kept even from his closest friends and his wife.

"If I tell you this, you must never tell anyone else, understand?"

"Yes."

"Snape was in love with my mother." Draco blinked and stared in disbelief.

"What...?"

"The two of them knew each other when they were children. They grew up together, went to school together, and he was in love with her. He hated my father because my mother fell in love with him. And I look just like my father. I was a constant reminder at school that my mother fell for another man. The only difference is that I have my mother's eyes. The eyes he fell in love with. When he came to Dumbledore, he had heard that Voldemort wanted to kill my mother and father. He didn't want my mother to die."

"But... he did kill them."

"Yes. He did. And Snape swore to Dumbledore that he would help him any way he could and that he would protect me. Everything that he did was according to Dumbledore's plan. Even killing him."

"Even that?"

"Dumbledore was sick. He was cursed. Remember his withered hand sixth year?" Draco nodded. "That was going to happen to all of him soon. He didn't want to wither and waste away. He told Snape to kill him. What we witnessed was a mercy killing, not a muder." Harry sighed. "I could use a drink."

"Help yourself. The bar is right behind you." Harry got up and poured himself a drink. Then he looked at his pocket watch.

"Congratulations," Harry said with a mysterious smile.

"For what?" Draco said moving his son so that he was lying on his chest. The baby stirred for a moment but then settled on his father's shoulder and went right back to sleep.

"You've been holding your son for twenty straight minutes now." Harry handed Draco a snifter of brandy. Draco looked down at the tiny baby in his arms that was still sleeping away. Draco took a sip of the brandy and put it down on the table.

"You know... he's not as breakable as I thought."

"They never are." Harry sipped on his brandy and smiled. "Have you decided what you are going to name him?"

"My father had a name all ready picked out."

"What is it?"

"Scorpius." Harry wrinkled his nose. "I know. That was my first thought."

"Got any better names?"

"I've been trying to think of one since Claudia got pregnant. I came up with a couple."

"Like what?"

"Julius was my grandfather's name. He was a very kind man. He was my mother's father. Whenever my father would beat me when I was younger I would run to his house to hide. My grandfather was one of the few people who would stand up to my father. He died when I was ten."

"Julius Malfoy is a good name."

"I think so. I'm not sure of any other names that I could give him." Harry finished his brandy.

"I'm sure you'll think of something appropriate." Draco moved his son back down to his arm and looked down at him. He was still sleeping.

"He looks so calm." Harry leaned forward and smiled.

"Stalwart and still. Like Orion."

"That would be a good name. Orion." He looked down at his son and the name seemed to fit.

"I like it. Orion Malfoy."

"Still need a middle name."

"You'll think of one." Harry put the steel band back down on the table. "Congratulations on becoming a father Draco. I know you will be a good one." Harry walked out the front door. Draco looked down at his child.

"Orion, I hope you grow up better than I did. If I have anything to do with that, I will try to make sure that you grow up better than I did. I was taught from birth that I would be in Slytherin house. I was taught to be a snake. To be coniving and cunning and to take what I needed from others. The man who was here just now, who gave you your first name, is Harry Potter. He was in Gryffindor house. He was taught to be a lion. He defends those he loves, he fights for them, and he even protects people like me who have never done a thing to deserve it. I don't care what house you are put in when you go to Hogwarts. But I hope you are in Gryffindor. I hope you grow up so that you protect those around you and those that you love. I hope you grow up unafraid to love others. It brings pain, but it also brings great joy and love beyond your wildest dreams. I hope you grow up a lion. You are Orion Leonitus Malfoy. And you are my son. I love you very much. Always remember that." Draco slowly stood and walked up the stairs. He walked into his bedroom and found Claudia and her mother sleeping. He put his son down in the bassanette next to the bed and kissed his son on the forehead. He curled up in bed next to his wife and slept an easy sleep.

* * *

Harry and Draco didn't see each other again until almost eleven years later. Draco and Claudia were seeing Orion off to Howarts on the train. Orion was a quiet, reserved child. But he was a happy child. He loved his friends and took care of them when called upon. He loved his father and his mother and never feared them. At the train Orion turned for moment and Draco could see doubt in his sons eyes.

"Daddy?" Orion said reaching out his hand to his father. Draco took it without hesitation and leaned down to his son.

"What's wrong Ori?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know... I don't know if I want to do this. I'm scared."

"Don't worry. Your friends will be there. And if anything goes wrong the professors are there to help you. They won't let anything happen to you."

"Can I write you every day?"

"If you want, and I'll write back every day. That's what I got you Odin here for." He tapped on the owl cage and the brown barn owl hooted softly. "Don't worry. You can come visit on the holidays and if you want I'll see if I can come up to visit this weekend." Orion looked down the platform and saw Harry, Ginny, and their three children.

"Is that Harry Potter?" he asked with wonder in his voice. Draco looked up and saw them.

"Yes Ori. That's him and his two boys. James and Albus. I believe that's his daughter as well."

"Grandfather says I should hate them."

"Grandfather is wrong about alot of things. Give them a chance. I'm sure that you will find that they are prefectly nice boys who are good to have as friends."

"How do you know?"

"Harry gave you your first name Orion. He said you looked strong and true the night you were born, like a hunter. You'll have a good time, I promise." Draco helped him put his bags on the train and after a few last hugs they said their good byes. He saw Harry wave to his son and then lightly touch the scar still on his forehead. Draco took Claudia by the hand and they walked to where Harry and Ginny were standing.

"Seeing your middle child off to school I see?" said Draco in a friendly tone. Harry turned and smiled.

"Yes, we are. Draco you know Ginny. This is Lily, my youngest," he said refering to the nine-year-old hiding at his knees.

"This is my wife Claudia," Draco said calmly and with a smile. "Claudia this is Harry Potter and his wife Ginny."

"What are you-" Ron started to say before he was stopped abruptly by a hand to the chest by Hermione.

"And this is Ron Weasley and his wife Hermione," Draco said choosing to ignore the comment that had been stopped.

"We just saw our boy off," said Hermione with a smile.

"We just saw off our boy off too," Draco replied.

"Young Scorpius?" Ron said with a touch of malice.

"Orion Leonitus is his name actually," Draco said calmly. "Scorpius is the name my father wanted me to give him, but I chose to shed myself completely of his holds on me after he died."

"Would you like to come to dinner with us?" Ginny said suddenly. "We were all going to go out and talk about old times." Draco looked at Harry and saw the easy smile on his face.

"I'd love to," he replied. "Claudia?"

"Of course," she said with a congenial smile.

"Then let's go," said Harry. They all walked out of the train station and walked out into the afternoon daylight. They all apparated to the Leaky Cauldron where they had a lunch that would being a long and easy friendship between the six adults.


End file.
